The sun had barely risen over Braisenhold, yet Kai was already in the Guild Hall's training kitchen, sleeves rolled up, apron tied snug, a smudge of ash streaked across one cheek. The embers in the stone hearth danced as if anticipating his touch.
Today, something was different.
As he cracked his knuckles and approached the firepit, the System flared to life.
[Stat Points Allocation Confirmed]
+3 Stat Points Applied
→ Mana: 10
[Update: Your Mana pool has increased. Active skills may now be used more frequently and with greater efficiency.]
Kai exhaled slowly. Ten Mana. Double digits. The number glowed with meaning. He was no longer cautiously rationing energy—he could command the fire now.
Training With Fire
Kai struck a match and summoned his will.
[Activate Skill: Flame Artistry I] – 15 MP
Error: Insufficient Mana.
He blinked, confused—then remembered the cost. Right. Still need to recharge between uses.
Instead, he turned to more sustainable training—balancing Heat Control II with subtle motions. A row of copper pans stood ready, each holding a different type of oil, spice, or broth. He'd designed the exercise himself: stabilize the temperature of each pan within 0.2 degrees, while flavoring them uniquely using just heat modulation.
A dozen variations. No ingredients. Just flame.
It took hours.
But by the time the Guild Hall began to bustle with its usual commotion, Kai's focus was razor-sharp. The flames curled where he directed, not where they pleased.
A New Challenge
Just before midday, a runner approached—barefoot, sweat-drenched, breathless.
"You're Kai Elgren, right? Master Kellan wants to see you. He said it's urgent."
Kai wiped his hands on a towel. Kellan was the Guild's logistics coordinator—he rarely summoned anyone unless a high-level mission came up.
In Kellan's office, parchment maps were spread across the desk like war plans. The older chef looked up, eyes hard.
"We've had supply disruptions in the northeast," he said without preamble. "The Emberpine forests—source of some of our finest smoked ingredients—have suffered from wildfires. Local kitchens are in chaos."
Kai's pulse quickened.
"You want me to go?"
Kellan nodded. "Yes. But not just to gather. We want you to help stabilize the outpost. Cook with what's left, inspire morale. You're a Junior Chef now—people will listen to you. It's your first Ingredient Quest."
[New Quest Accepted: Smoked Salvation]
Objective: Travel to the Emberpine Outpost. Restore morale through field-cooked meals. Scout for salvageable ingredients.
Rewards: +60 XP, Tier 2 Ingredient x1, Guild Favor +10
He bowed slightly. "Consider this your first step outside the city."
The Road to Emberpine
Kai packed his gear methodically: spice satchel, portable steel grill, firestones, and a few simple ingredients. At the Guild's supply depot, he was issued a mount—a shaggy, auburn-coated bakerbeast, known for its gentle gait and warmth-preserving pouches. It had a soft snort and a curious appetite for dried herbs.
As the city gates vanished behind him, Kai realized: this was the first time he'd left Braisenhold since arriving in Ardentia.
The road ahead wound through pine-laced hills and smoke-kissed skies. The scent of distant charcoal hung in the air. Hours passed under Kai's silent observation—trees stripped bare, soil scorched.
When he finally reached the Emberpine Outpost, what he saw churned his stomach.
Tents scattered in disarray. Hungry eyes. Blackened ovens. The kitchen hearth was cold.
A young cook, no older than sixteen, rushed up. "You're the one the Guild sent?"
Kai nodded, surveying the wreckage.
"Then you'd better come quickly," the boy said. "We've got people starving, and morale's burning lower than the trees."
Fire Rekindled
Within the hour, Kai had the field kitchen running. He didn't wait for elaborate prep. He worked with what they had—wild onion bulbs, salvaged mushrooms, smoked bark resin, salt-cured boar from the reserve crates.
The key was infusion.
He activated Flame Artistry I, spending 10 MP.
The fire danced in unnatural patterns—thin tendrils swirling around the pots in rhythmic loops, infusing the smoky resin and boar fat deep into the broth.
People gathered, first curious, then awed.
The aroma wafted through camp, and soon bowls were passed out, steaming and rich.
Even the most weary among them straightened.
And Kai? He stood at the center of it all, fire in his veins and ash at his heels.
[Quest Progress: Smoked Salvation – Objective 1 Complete]
+30 XP
Current XP: 30 / 400
Kai Elgren
Level: 5
XP: 30 / 400
Titles: Junior Chef, Pan Warden, Fire-Touched
Reputation: 52
Mana: 10
Stats:
Culinary Sense: 8
Knife Technique: 5
Heat Control: 6 (II)
Stamina: 7
Focus: 10
Mana: 10
Skills:
Basic Knife Mastery (Passive)
Flavor Sense I (Passive)
Ingredient Recognition I (Passive)
Heat Control II (Active)
Flame Artistry I (Active, 15 MP)
Quest:
Smoked Salvation (In Progress)
Objective 1: Cook for the Emberpine Outpost – ✅
Objective 2: Find a Tier 2 salvageable ingredient – ⏳